richard5933

If it only works with the ignition on, then I would think that your system is plumbed with a loop of radiator anti-freeze running through a heat exchange which allows engine heat to be used to make hot water. Sounds like the engine heat side is working, but for some reason the system isn't igniting and making its own heat. That would explain why it's not working off the house batteries. After checking the fuses (some will be located at/near the Webasto unit itself), run through the troubleshooting steps in the manual.

Since the only real change before/after the problem started was the filter change, that would be the focus of the inspection for me. Possibly you got a bad filter? Possibly a bad gasket? Wouldn't take much of a manufacturing defect to cause a problem. Assuming these are screw on filters, it would only take a few minutes to swap them, either for the ones that were just pulled out or a new set. Then you could eliminate the easy items on the list, which are often overlooked.

You might have a piece of debris clogging the hot water side of the shower water faucet valve. If it's one that has replaceable cartridges and/or washers, you can open it and check. We just had a faucet at home with almost no hot water flow. All the other faucets were fine on hot, as were all the cold water taps. In the end there was a piece of debris about the size of a large pepper flake which had worked its way into the hot water side of the cartridge. It had wedged itself in there just right as pretty much blocked the flow. Doesn't take much to stop up the flow on a 3/8" OD tube (only 1/4" ID).

We have a similar storage tube, which is mounted across the bulkhead on a pass-through storage bay. You can see it on the upper right corner of the photo - it's black but otherwise the same as the one in your link. When the sewer hose is stored in the tube with the end caps on it doesn't leak, but just in case we took a few precautionary steps. First, we tilted it ever so slightly down towards one end. Second, we used a 'feminine hygiene pad' under the lower end to catch any drips, should they occur. This is a trick we learned from a boating friend, who told us that they use these pads all the time in their engine room to keep the occasional oil drip from getting into the bilge water. We take care to rinse the hose and shake out the excess water before storage, so far so good. After we did all this, we ended up getting an extension hose. The extension hose is collapsible and has very tight end caps. It is stored fully compressed and gently coiled up inside the tub you see in the right side of the photo. I'd probably put both in there if I was to do it again.

We are 35' long and have no leveling system. We do carry stacking blocks, but to date have not used them. Of course, it does take some doing at times to park level, whether it be carefully selecting a site or parking on the site just right, but we've been pretty good at being comfortable nearly every night. At a few boondocking parking lots there have been issues. In those cases we park so the out-of-level is front to back and not side to side. Helps keep up from rolling out of bed. A properly sized wheel chock should be about 1/4 the height of the tire. Ours is 10" tall. We carry one with us, although on a level site we don't use it since we're not jacking up the coach. We carry ours in case we have to park on an incline, in case of mechanical failure, in case of flat requiring jacking to change a tire, and because there are a few maintenance maneuvers which require releasing the parking brake.

Here's an alert I found posted on the Delaware River and Bay Authority website: ____________________________________________________________________ As a vehicle enters a Delaware Memorial Bridge toll lane, the toll system reads both the number of axles and the vehicle profile. If a customer is towing a trailer or is operating a large recreational vehicle and enters a dedicated E-ZPass lane, the system may register the transaction at a commercial rate. To eliminate the potential for a misclassification, the DRBA advises customers to pay the toll manually. The E-ZPass transponder must be removed before entering the lane and placed in the read proof bag during the transaction. In addition, all E-ZPass customers should always check their statements to make sure that the charges are accurate and immediately report any discrepancies to their customer service center. This alert does not apply to campers or RVs with dual tires. ____________________________________________________________________ Not sure of any details other than this alert, but perhaps this was part of your problem jleamont. Sounds like they have an internal problem accurately reading the tags on RVs.

Could a bad battery also be keeping the charger at the 14.19v level? Perhaps it's seeing the bad battery the same as a discharged battery and is pushing through the higher voltage in an attempt to get it charged. I'm curious if the voltage level will correct itself once a known set of good batteries are connected and charged. If not, I'd be concerned that the charger would overcharge if it stayed at 14.19v at all times.

Funny, my I-Pass (EZPass) from Illinois has me listed as a 'small truck'. There ore only four classes in the I-Pass system for vehicle: Auto, Small Truck (2 axles), Medium Truck (3-4 axles), and Large Truck (5+ axles). We're listed as Small Truck. Funny thing, from what I can tell they have been collecting the proper tolls as we travel through the system.

Wasn't trying to be critical of your post. I was just posting information since there were a few comments in the thread that seemed to be mixing things up a bit between a two-stage regulator and an auto changeover regulator.

Some states issue both a car and RV transponder. In this situation, the car one is stored in the special bag when being towed. It is necessary to change the profile to be sure that the correct number of axles get charged, whether with or without the towed.

Then I'd say you're good to go. Your batteries charging. Chassis accessories affect the chassis batteries, house accessories affect the house battere. There are both. Things like the dash a/c fan, dash stereo, etc probably run from the chassis batteries, as would anything that only runs with the key turned on.

Did you check it while driving on the freeway or after you got off the freeway? If this was the voltage after, then it sounds ok. Probably was higher while actually driving. If you have a way to keep the meter connected while driving you should be able to see the voltage go up a bit when the engine is operating at freeway speeds.

Thanks. I'll have to add this to my list for the first service call after winter. Of course, I'll have to decide what to do with the tires before that, as the adjustment may not be necessary if I switch to the 12R22.5 tires. I've got the books for the bus, and I'm sure that the tech at the shop also has experience with this. Between all that I'm hoping we can get this sorted out.

This can be done without hooking up a pressure gauge? And to correct what I wrote earlier - I'm not currently able to hit the stops when turning. What I'm referring to is the tires being able to slightly rub on the outside of the air bag when the steering wheel is turned to the extreme. Different, but probably equally bad. While my current tires have a little life in them, I'm seriously leaning towards swapping them all for the Toyo 12R22.5 at the start of the spring driving season. This would hopefully eliminate the problem with the 315s rubbing the air bags on a hard turn, since they are about 1/2" narrower than the 315s. Guess GM put the 12R22.5 tires on there for a reason. My suspicion is that the previous owner put on the 315s because that was what he had on hand. He ran a fleet of commercial buses, and I'm sure that he just had his guys install what they had on hand and didn't even look closely at the specs. Besides, I think that most people assume that the 315s are the modern equivalent to the 12R22.5 size, but apparently not in every way.

We've got factory power steering on our coach. The manual shows that there is a wheel stop adjustment screw on the steering knuckles, but it also appears to involve using a pressure gauge and changing a plunger setting on the power steering gear box. Seems like the primary setting is made with the plunger adjustments, and that the wheel stop screw is there for backup in case the primary adjustment is not working. Sure seems easier to just use the proper tires. I've only had two occurrences that I'm aware of when the wheels were at the stops while rolling, both times when doing very close quarter maneuvers. Ideally, I'll be able to avoid this from happening, but of course it will be nice to have things adjusted as they should be to be certain there is never a catastrophic failure from the tire hitting and rupturing an air bag.

I've looked at the 295/80R22.5 tires in a number of brands. None of them are exactly at 495 rpm either, with most being about 500. I don't think that there is a really exact match for the tires that were on the coach from the factory. One thing that occurs to me is that the tread depth is much deeper on modern tires, and I think that this is what makes the rpm count off a little on modern 12R22.5 tires. Maybe I just need to have them shaved a touch to get them where they need to be. The other thing that I've discovered is that there are adjustable stops on the front axle, and it should be very easy to adjust them so that the 315s on the coach now can't contact the air bags. The Toyo M170 have been used on other coaches, and the results appear to be good. The size I need apparently come in two variants, the width being the difference. My guess is that the upper tire in this chart is the one that I'd want. Tire Size Load / Speed MPH Ply Rating Load ID Approved Rim Width Range (in.) Tread Depth (1/32") Product Code Weight (lbs.) Inflated Overall Diameter (in.) Inflated Overall Width (in.) Static Loaded Radius (in.) Static Loaded Width (in.) Max Load Single / Dual (lbs.) Max Pressure Single / Dual (PSI) Revs Per Mile 12R22.5 150/147L 75 16 H 8.25-9.00 19 546090 134 42.4 12.0 19.0 13.0 7390 / 6780 120 / 120 490 12R22.5 152/148L 75 16 H 8.25-9.00 19 546310 132 42.4 12.4 19.7 13.4 7390 / 6780 120 / 120 490

Absolutely correct about the EZPass. Best way to save lots driving the toll roads. I got ours through the Illinois Tollway where it's called the I-Pass, but it works in all places the EZPass works. I don't believe that the Illinois I-Pass has a charge at all, but they do collect a $10 deposit and require that you prepay your first $20 in tolls. Don't have to live in the state where you get the EZPass/I-Pass from. One word of caution. It takes longer than you'd expect (up to 24 hours) for the automatic account replenish feature to reach all the various parts of the EZPass system. I was traveling back from the east coast last year and was spending lots on tolls. I received a notification that my account balance automatically replenished, so I was not concerned about the upcoming tolls. When I got off the bridge going from Indiana into Chicago my EZPass did not work. Apparently that toll booth is privately managed, and their computer system doesn't update the account balances in real time. I had to pay the cash fee that time. What made it even worse was I couldn't reach the machine through my driver's window, and I couldn't open the door because the next booth was too close. Had to sit and wait for an attendant. What I did to keep this from happening again was to raise the threshold for automatic replenishment so that I would always have enough in my account to cover a full day's travel on tollways. Some of them are pricey. The settings I use are automatically put $100 on my account whenever the balance drops to $80. Everyone has a different situation so you'll need to do the math. Probably more than I need, but I didn't want to be caught short again. Now if only they could figure out how to make the EZPass work in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

We're using Trojan. Used them in our last coach as well. So far so good. They also have a great watering system that fits their batteries and works well. They have a number of options available in each battery size, and it may even be possible to get a larger capacity battery in the same physical footprint.

More research and now I've got more to consider. Apparently the OEM tire size on my coach is 12R22.5 and there are not that many good options for this tire size. Since the 315 present the possible danger of contacting the air bags when making tight turns, I'm leaning towards returning to the 12R22.5 tire size. One of the tires I'm considering now is the Toyo M170. Anyone have experience with this tire?

I did look at them - the Conti Coach HA3 is a nice tire. There is one problem, and I'm not sure just how big a deal it is yet. With the drive train in our coach being what it is (8V71, 4-speed manual, and pretty lousy low-end power) I'm trying to stay as close as possible to the tire rpm (revolution per mile) set by GM of 495. Our current tires spin at 491 rpm, and the Michelin are the same. Every little bit lower than 495 serves to reduce low-end power, increase top speed, and of course mess up my speedometer. The Conti Coach HA3 only spins at 488 rpm, which would only serve to exacerbate the low-end problem and speedo inaccuracy.

I'm starting the search for new tires, hoping to get them installed in early spring. Right now we're running Firestone FS 400 in 315/80R22.5 size. We've been happy with them, and other than the tires being seven years old there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. My initial thought was to replace them with a new set of the same. The tire dealer I'm hoping to work with is recommending Michelin, mainly I think because that is their main line and the Firestones will need to be ordered in. So, I looked at the Michelin tires available, and with the FMCA discount they would end up costing about the same as the Firestones. Not sure if they are better, about the same, or a step down. One tire I'm looking at is the Michelin X Line Energy Z. https://www.michelinrvtires.com/tires/selector/#!/info/x-line-energy-z-coach Anyone have any experience with this tire? Since some of the larger Class A coaches out there are running the 315/80R22.5 size tires, I'm hoping that at least a few people can let me know what they think of these tires.

Good points. On my setup both tanks are connected to the regulator through a T fitting. The T fitting used on mine has the check valve built into it so that one tank can be removed and the other can still be connected and supplying fuel to the regulator.

Seems to be some confusion in this thread. A two-stage regulator and an auto changeover regulator are NOT the same thing. Single-Stage Regulator A single stage regulator is one that adjusts the pressure inside the tank to a usable pressure in one step. As the pressure in the tank changes due to temperature or the amount of fuel in the tank, the outlet pressure will vary. Towards the tail end of the tank the outlet pressure will drop, and for some appliances this lowered pressure can create problems, particularly for appliances which are fussier and don't tolerate low pressure situations. Some countries no longer permit installation of single stage regulators in RVs due to increased danger from failure. Two-Stage Regulator A two-stage regulator adjusts the pressure out of the tank to a usable pressure in two steps. The output pressure will remain more stable regardless of the fuel level in the tank. The first stage does the bulk of the pressure reduction, and then the final stage fine tunes the low pressure output to a level usable by the appliances inside the RV. There is some increased safety on a two-stage regulator, since the first stage does the majority of the work and the low pressure side (with the more delicate parts) isn't being asked to handle the high input pressure coming from the tank. There is also some evidence that a two-stage regulator will last longer. Auto Changeover Regulator These are designed for situations in which two tanks are present. As the pressure in one tank drops below a usable level, the auto changeover regulator will automatically change the input from the empty tank to the full tank. This can be convenient since the operator doesn't have to go outside and manually switch from one tank to the other. Usually a flag or other indicator will appear so that you know one tank is empty. If you inspect your tanks daily, you'd see that one tank is empty and be able to get it filled before the other is empty. However, if you just let the system operate until both tanks are empty then there is no advantage to having an auto changeover regulator. Might as well just leave the valves on both tanks open on a traditional single or two stage regulator and run the system until both tanks are empty. Safety Warning Each tank should have a valve which can be used to switch between tanks. Simply close the valve on the first (empty) tank and open the valve on the second. By installing a T with two ball valves, you're introducing needless hardware and many more potential leaks. There should be no need to install extra shut-off valves, except for situations were the shut-off valves are difficult to access. (And that in itself would be a safety concern - shut off valves should always be accessible.) Also, the ball valves used for gas applications are not the same as used for water plumbing. If you are going to install ball valves, be certain that you buy ball valves rated for use with LP. They should be marked on the label. _______________________________________________________________ The difference in cost between a single-stage regulator and a two-stage regulator is minimal. A good quality two-stage regulator can be purchased for about $30. If there is room in the storage bay for the two-stage regulator, I can't think of a good reason not to use one. It will provide a more stable output pressure, and will provide a higher level of safety. The auto changeover regulators can be more expensive. Whether they are worth the expense only depends on how valuable it is to you to have an indicator show when the first tank is emptied and the tank switches over to the second tank. I monitor my tanks daily when using LP. It's as simple as looking at the gauge on each tank to see what the fuel level is. If I miss the first tank emptying, the worst case would be having to relight my appliances. Alternatively, I can just open the valves on both tanks and let them run, but then they'd both be empty at the same time. If I run only one tank at a time I can take the empty to be filled while the other runs the heat.

If the previous owner(s) had been filling with hard water, you may also have deposits built up in the pump. When you check the pump inlet screen, you should be able to get an idea of what the system looks like.

Does the vehicle have a separate voltage regulator? If so, it sounds like that might be the culprit.